MasterCard Will Soon Let You Use a Selfie as Your Password

Hey, narcissists, soon you’ll be able to put those photos of yourself to good use (beyond trying to rack up double-digit likes on Instagram), because MasterCard is introducing a functionality that allows selfies to be used in the place of traditional passwords online in an effort to reduce identity theft.

Called “Identity Check,” MasterCard’s new selfie verification system will also ask customers for a fingerprint in order to make payments online. Also, for “proof of life,” the new biometric technology requires you to blink while you snap your photo. You’re already taking them at happy hour, with your cat, on vacation, and basically everywhere else, so what’s another #onlineshopping selfie thrown into the mix?

It might sound eye-rollingly 2016, but the new technology will actually make your online life easier and safer: “People shop on all sorts of devices, and they expect technology to simplify and secure the transaction,” explained Ajay Bhalla, president of enterprise security solutions at MasterCard, in a press release.